test blows

[David Love]

I wouldn't say "extremely hard test blows" but he is of the school that the
pin should be manipulated while giving the string firm and frequent blows. 
The C&A people at Steinway make the same recommendation (as do others).  I
heard a presentation of Mohr's not too long ago in which he advised, in a
half joking manner, that if a technician was tuning your piano and played
the notes gently as they tuned, that you should throw them out.  I have
found that tuning with firm and frequent blows does help stability--though
I find it is more necessary in the treble (capo sections especially) than
lower down.  The greater extrusion of the tenor and bass tend to keep
things moving more naturally.   As a general rule I find that the piano
requires firmer blows as you ascend the scale.  You don't need to use
"extremely hard test blows" while tuning.  In fact, I don't like to use
"extremely hard test blows" at all.  If you tune while playing the note
frequently and firmly, a final whack to the note doesn't really help and
might even be counterporductive.  It doesn't hurt, by the way, to play a
bit more softly when you want to listen carefully for accuracy.     

David Love
davidlovepianos@earthlink.net


> I've heard stories that Franz Mohr used extremely hard test blows when
> tuning.  Of course, I've also heard that his tunings were rock-solid
> stable.  There seems to be a correlation here.
>
> Any further comments?
>
> Corte Swearingen
> Chicago